Daily Devotions # 2
All devotions written by Belinda Jo Adams.
Bible version used is The King James Version.
Index
Verse: "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones" (Proverbs 16:24).
I watched my neighbor's child as he sat on their porch blowing soap bubbles. Soon he blew a larger one and as it floated away, he called to it, "Come back." Of course, it could not come back. It reminded me of the things we say. Once the words have left our mouth, it is impossible to get them back again. Sometimes the things we say are kind and thoughtful, and we do not want to get them back. But sometimes the things we say are unkind and hurtful, and we wish we had not said them. A talebearer is a person who gossips. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me!" That is a saying we quoted as children to let others know that bad things they said about us did not hurt. But, it is a lie. When people say bad things about others it does hurt. We should guard our thoughts, as well, because our words come from our thoughts. As we think of the soap bubbles and remember to watch our thoughts and words, we will not hurt others with what we say or do. Prayer: Dear God, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Amen2. Stormy Seas
Verse: "Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows"(Jonah 1:16).
In Jonah 1:9-16 we read how Jonah ran away from God. He sailed away on a boat. A big storm came up. The sailors called on their gods to help. Jonah told them that his God had made the sea and the land. He told them the storm was because he was running away from God, and that they must throw him overboard to stop the storm. They did not want to, but finally they did. The storm stopped immediately, and they worshipped the true God. How did these sailors know about God? Maybe they had heard about God and rejected him in the past. Now when they heard Jonah's words and experienced the stormy seas become at peace again, they were ready to obey the true God. We sometimes tell friends and relatives about Jesus, and they do not want to listen. Do not be discouraged. Keep praying for them. God may bring some situation into their lives that will cause them to pay attention, and maybe they will find the Lord at that time. Prayer: Dear God, help me to keep telling my relatives and friends about Jesus and praying for their salvation. Amen.3. Understanding
Verse:Understanding "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them" ( II Timothy 3:14). When our daughter was about six years old, she was having trouble with some of her friends. It seemed they were always having conflict. We taught her Matthew 7:12 "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them:..." She continued having problems with the children. We repeated this verse to her. She answered in frustration, "I am treating them how they treat me." She had not understood that this verse meant that she should treat other people the way she would like to be treated, and it was making her life hard. Sometimes we read our Bible and memorize verses, yet we still do not fully understand the meaning. We should study to understand God's Word. Attending the services at church and listening to sermons and Bible lessons help us grow in knowledge of God's Word. When we have personal times of reading the Bible, sometimes we need to find a good dictionary or ask someone we trust for help in understanding the hard words. Another Verse: "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise" Luke 6:31). Prayer: Dear God, Help me to not only read and memorize Your Word, but understand the correct meaning of those precious words. Amen.
4. Glorify God
Verse: "For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath" (Matthew 25:29). Exodus 31:1-11 tells us that it was time for God's people to build the tabernacle. The tabernacle would be a special place where they could worship God. God had given certain people special skills needed to do the job. Now He called on them to use those skills for him. The people were glad to use their skills to honor God. Matthew 25:14-30 tells the story of the man who left his servants in charge of caring for his place. He left each one in charge of a certain amount of money. When he returned for their reports, he was pleased with the men who had used their money well. But he was angry with the man who had hidden the money, instead of using it to earn more money. He took what the man had away from him. God blesses us with different skills and abilities. He wants us to use them for him. When we glorify him by using skills and abilities He blesses us with more ability to serve him. If we do not use our talents, then He may take them away from us. Let us prayerfully use our talents for God's honor and glory. Prayer: Help me, dear God, to use the talents and skills You have given me, to bring honor and glory to You. Amen.
5. God Knows Me
Verse: "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30). Several years ago, I had some missionary friends in Korea. When they first went to Korea, their son was six years old. They sent him to a Korean school. The first day of school he came home and told his mother he wanted to wear the same shirt to school the next day. When she asked why, he answered that he wanted the teacher to know who he was. Of course, the teacher would know him for he was the only boy with blonde hair in the class. But, having someone know just who we are is important to us. As of 2005, there are 6,480,674,715 people on earth; 295,734,134 in the United States; 8,829,383 million in Georgia where my home is. That is a lot of people. But, you know something? God knows me. And God knows you. He knows each of us personally! God knows and loves each one of us. Several verses in the Bible tells us that He knew us before we were born. He even knows how many hairs are on our head. He wants each of us to accept Jesus as our Savior. He wants us to glorify Him while we live on this earth and live with Him in Heaven for eternity when we die. Remember, each one of us are important to God and He wants to have us to be with Him forever. Prayer: Thank You, God, for loving and caring enough to know me from all the other people in the world. Amen.
6. Revival
Verse: "And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers" (2 Chronicles 34:33). Second Chronicles 34:1-7 tells the story of Josiah. He was known as the boy king. He was eight years old when he became king. At age sixteen, he began to follow God. The result was a great revival, or turning back to God. His kingdom chose to serve The Lord God again and not follow sin as their ancestors had done. Revival starts in the hearts of God's people. How do we become revived? There were eight great revivals recorded in the Bible, and each one started when the people heard God's Word and obeyed it. Revival does two things. It delivers a nation from God's judgment, or it helps God's people during judgment. Today our nation has much sin. How can we help our nation? We need to read God's Word, the Bible. When we do, God will reveal our sin to us. Then we need to ask God's forgiveness, stop sinning, and pray for our nation. Prayer: Lord, give me a tender heart, so I will know my sin and confess it to You. Amen.
7. Names
Verse: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). What is your name? In the old days, names were given that had a meaning. Last names came into being for various reasons. Maybe someone was a carpenter and so was named Carpenter, or was a baker and so was named Baker. Or a person might be named after a father; for instance the father's name is Simon and you would be Simonson = son of Simon. Some people give special names to their friends. We call these nicknames. Indians are given names for several reasons and the name can change through the years. These names could be according to their personality or a feat in the person's life. I saw in a book recently, an Indian was named 'Never Got Shot.' In the story of Snow White, the dwarfs had names because of their personalities. Deaf people give name signs that tell something about the person. What would your name be if your friends named you because of the way you are? Would it be Happy? Lazy? Sincere? Complainer? Soul winner? Jesus was given special names in our Bible reading today. They told what kind of person he would be. I am glad Jesus came and is so special. I wonder what name Jesus would give us? Prayer: Dear God, help me to live the way You want me to live, so that my name can be special to You. Amen.
8. Changes
Verse: "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8). At my writing class, I was told to write about something that is different in my life now than when I was younger. That started me thinking about all the changes I have seen take place during the last fifty years. Can you think of some amazing changes that have happened in your lifetime? For instance, as a senior in high school, I went on a field trip to see a new oven that could cook meals much faster than regular ovens. We were amazed, and wondered if it would ever be possible to own one. It was a microwave oven, and today many homes have them. I have seen many changes. But I am glad I can know that God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We can trust God to always stay the same. People change. Customs and ideas change. But God never changes! Another verse: "For I am the LORD, I change not; ..." (Malachi 3:6a). Prayer: Dear God, Thank You for Your Bible, which teaches us that You never change. We can always depend on You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
9. An Exciting Event
Verse: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (Thessalonians 4:16-17). The special day arrived. We would soon see the president of the United States of America. We told other people so they could attend the meeting, also. Then we arrived at the meeting place and waited. Excitement filled the air. News people were everywhere, As we waited, we talked with others around us. The gates opened! We walked through the metal detector for security purposes, then found our seats and waited again. When the moment drew close every eye faced the stage. The president stepped up on the platform and spoke to us. Cameras flashed and people clapped. There is another exciting event coming that we look forward to. We should tell others about it so they can look forward to it, also. When Jesus appears in the sky, there will not be time for security measures or news people. There will be no time for talking to others around us. When Jesus comes, Christians will leave too fast to think about telling others. So, we need to tell them now of God's wonderful gift of salvation by asking Jesus to save them from their sin. Prayer: Thank You, God, for Your promise that You will come again. Help us to encourage each other daily and tell others about salvation so they can be ready. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
10. Happy in Serving
Verse: "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians. 9:7). Recently at our church. We were doing some cleaning. I did not want to be there that day, and I was in a bad mood. After a while, I realized that I was wrong. How could God bless what I did when I was not really cleaning the church because I wanted to do it for Him? God loves the person who gives cheerfully. We usually see this part ("God loveth a cheerful giver") of the above verse on offering envelopes. This section in the Bible is talking about giving money, but I have noticed in recent years that we need to use that verse when giving of our time and talents to God, also. If we use our time and talents for God, but are in a bad mood, then He will not bless our time and talents as much as if we use them happily. Sure, we cannot be happy all the time, but we can get the best blessing from God by doing the things we do because we truly want to serve Him and do so with the right attitude. Prayer: Dear God, please help me to give not only my money, but also my time and talents, with the right attitude. Amen.
11. wolves
Bible Reading: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15-23). When our daughters were small, they liked for me to tell them the story of The Three Little Pigs. In the story, the little pigs are taught to watch out for the bad wolf, because he wants to eat them. This story makes me think of Jesus' teaching about wolves in sheep's clothing. Jesus tells us to be careful of these people who are really false teachers. They appear as harmless as sheep, but are really as dangerous as wolves. Satan uses these people to try to trick us into believing his lies that he gets them to tell us. Satan is trying to destroy our lives. He makes cults and false religions look like they are really good, but they will hurt us. We must protect ourselves against Satan and false teachers. How can we know who to believe? We can ask for God's help in knowing the truth. We can study the Bible, so we will know whether a teaching is true or false. Do not be fooled by false teachers, but follow the true teaching of Jesus. Prayer: Thank You, God, for your Bible. Help me to study it so I will know what is right. Amen./p>
12. God Made Us
Bible Reading: "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations" (Psalm 100). My husband recently had knee surgery. Afterwards, we saw a video of the procedure. I was again reminded of how wonderful the human body is. I do not know how anyone can believe it was made just by chance. Someone (GOD!) had to plan for this world and all the things we enjoy. Some scientists and teachers tell us the Bible is not true. They want us to believe what they tell us is true. They tell us people evolved from apes or even a rock! This is a lie. God made all things. He made the human body. Inside the knee are not only four bones, but also protective cartilage, ligaments connecting bones, tendons, connecting muscle to the bones, a synovial sac containing lubricating fluid, blood flowing through to provide nutrients, and, of course, the skin. All these just for the knee! Each part of the body is made just as wonderfully and works the way God planned. Prayer: Thank You, God, for creating our wonderful bodies. Help me to take care of mine for your glory. Amen.
13. Stormy Seas
Verse: "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:14) AND "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also (1 John 4:21). I recently got new glasses. They are hard to get used to, but I am trying. It makes me wonder how hard we try to make our relationships at church work. We each have different personalities, and sometimes it seems hard for them all to work together. Maybe we do love each other because we are commanded to, but do we like each other? Sometimes we say, "I love them, but I sure don't like their ways." If their ways are sinful, then that is good. But if their ways are just different from our ways, then that is not good. Jesus is our friend. He looks at each one of us and sees the good in us. He encourages us to do good and to be a better person. We should stop and look at our friends again and look past what we think are faults and see good in each one. We are truly Jesus' friends when we obey His commandment to love one another. Prayer: Dear God, please help me to take a new look at my friends and to truly love them. Amen.
14. Show It
Verse: "A merry heart make a cheerful countenance: ..." (Proverbs 15:13). I try to smile a lot. But, sometimes, I do not feel like smiling. Maybe I have a problem that I am trying to solve or something is worrying me. A friend told me, once, that she could tell when I was sad, because I had a 'little cloud' over my head. What she meant was that I smile a lot, but when I do not, everyone knows I am upset because I have a sad countenance. This verse tells us that our face shows how we feel. Sometimes our heart may not feel very happy, but if we think about it, there is always something we can smile about. Even if we cannot think of anything that we think is enough to smile about, we can smile anyway. I have heard that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile, so smiling should be easy for us to do. It will make us feel better, if we smile. When we feel better, we can help others. A smile can do much to brighten another person's day. I interpret for deaf people in our church. Sometimes hearing people come up to me and tell me they wish they could sign, but for some reason they cannot learn. I tell them they already know a very important sign. They are surprised and ask me what the sign is. I tell them, 'a smile.' We should be happy because we know Jesus, and we should show others we care for them by smiling. Prayer: Father, help me to remember to smile more. Help, me to show care for others with a smile. Amen.
15. God Does Not Change
Verse: "For I am the Lord, I change not..." (Malachi 3:6a). Magazine ads and television commercials constantly promote current products. New items come out all the time and we are encouraged to buy them. Then, at a later date, they are improved and made even better. Year after year advancements are made in merchandise. The marketing of these products is important. They need to inform us, the consumers, of the many changes that have taken place. I have been in church most of my life and accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord thirty years ago. As I try to read God's Word and pray daily my knowledge and love for God grow. The more I learn about God the more I realize He does not improve. He does not need to! He is God. He is perfect just the way He is. He never changes. Now and then we may buy a certain product and like it for a while but for some reason it does not seem to do the same job as it did at first. It may wear out and so we need a new one to replace it. We start seeking another one to work better. Sometimes it is hard to find one we like. In our personal lives we may forget to pray and read our Bibles. It may even seem as though God's love for us has stopped or changed. But, we need to realize that it is we who have changed, not God. He never changes. He is always the same. He does not improve or wear out. He wants to restore the sweet fellowship we once had if we only ask for the fellowship to be again. Prayer: Dear God, Help me to remember that You never change. You are always the same. I can depend on You to be the same forever! Amen.
16. Infinite Love
Verse: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33) We, as humans, measure everything in our sight and even some things we cannot see. We measure the inner workings of our bodies including our blood pressure, age etc. We measure the world around us. The distance as we travel, the speed of our vehicles, prices of items we buy, and, of course, time of day. We measure sound, liquids, light, and energy. Then we go into outer space and measure the distance to the moon, stars and far off galaxies. The speed of space ships and the travel of satellites overwhelms our thinking. While doing all this we are using measurements to help us realize the importance of God's creation. We can never measure God or His love, though. He is what He is. He is the great I AM.(Exodus 3:14) He is simply and only God who loves us. People who have not accepted God's plan of salvation need to realize there is an appointment with death and that now is the time of salvation. We do have our limits, but God's love is measureless. His love reaches to each soul as a person repents of sin and then accepts Jesus as their Savior. Prayer: Thank You, God that there is no limit with You. I praise You that You have given us the ability to measure things and the knowledge that You cannot be measured! Amen.
17. Who Is God's Equal?
Verse: "To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One" (Isaiah 40:25). A few years ago, we had many insurance salesmen wanting us to buy their insurance. Not only life insurance, but also car, health, earthquake, legal services and long-term health care. As we listened to each of their arguments, we became fearful of what the future held for us and wondered who will take care of us when we became older. Our government also has all types of plans to take care of each of us who need help. It is now trying to come up with a plan to be sure each of us has health coverage. It seems as though we are putting insurance and the government in the place of God. God has promised, in the Bible, to take care of us. He promises to supply our daily needs, and God does not grow weary of doing this. The Israelites continued falling into the sin of worshipping other gods instead of the true and living God. Are we close to doing that in America as we depend more and more on insurance companies and government to take care of us? Neither insurance nor the government help is bad, but they cannot equal God. Only God can give us the best care. We do not need to worry with God in control. Prayer: Dear God, Help me to remember that You can give us the best care. Help me to trust in You daily and for my future. Amen
18. The God Who Knows Everything
Verse: "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me," (Isaiah 46:9). There are three inventions I think I will never understand. They are the airplane, computer, and the television. I have had the processes by which they work explained to me several times. Still, when I see a plane lift off, it amazes me. When I turn on the TV I wonder how the sound and picture can travel through air. And the computer boggles my mind. God knows and understands all the works of science. He gave man wisdom to invent them. He even knew they would be invented. God knows everything. He knows who we are; even the number of hairs on our heads. That takes continual bookkeeping, too, since they fall out daily! He knew us before we were born. He knows what we are going to do before we do it. I have been reading the book of Isaiah in the Bible. Throughout the book of Isaiah God warns of judgment and foretells His plan of salvation. I do not understand all of it, but I do know that God is trying to get us to see and understand that He is the only God. It is foolish to think that people will fashion an idol with their own hands and then bow down and worship it as their god. That idol cannot see or hear. It does not know anything. No, I do not understand the marvels of science. But God does. I also do not understand why some people accept God's plan of salvation and some people turn to idols instead of the real God. But God does. He knows who will accept Jesus, and is waiting right now for whoever is going to do so. Prayer: Dear Father God, Help me to remember that You know all things. You see what I do and hear me when I pray.
19. Friends
Verse: "But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name" (III John1:14). My husband was in the military and now his job is with the reserves. For that reason we have moved often and know many people who move often. We also have several missionary friends. We have friends all around the world. In verse 14, John closes with a note to greet the friends by name. He wanted each one to know he remembered them. There is a special bond that keeps friends together in heart even when they are not near each other. When I think of the great blessing of friendship God has given to us, I think about our friends all around the world. One day all saved people will have a reunion in Heaven. The song Blest Be The Tie That Binds is about this. John Faucett wrote the poem to his church congregation. He had an offer to go to a larger church that could pay him more, but he could not leave his friends because he loved them so much. This song always brings tears to my eyes and I thank God for all my friends. Another Verse: "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you" (Philippians 1:4). Prayer: Thank You, God, for the special gift of friendship. Thank You that we can still be friends, though far apart. Amen.
20. Jesus Loves Me
Verse: "And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them" (Mark 10:16). Jesus Loves Me is a favorite song of children and adults around the world. There are more verses than the one we usually sing, though. Verse 2 goes like this: "Jesus Loves me! He who died, Heaven's gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in." Verse 3: "Jesus Loves me! He will stay, Close beside me all the way, Thou hast bled and died for me, I will henceforth live for Thee." Anna Warner wrote this poem in 1860. It was printed in a novel written by her sister, Susan. Later, Dr. William Bradbury wrote the music for it. For more than a hundred years it has been popular throughout the world. I am glad we can sing these words and know Jesus loves us. He loves all the people of the world. He came to earth to die on a cross for us. Then He rose from the dead to prove He truly is God. Now He is preparing a place for any who will accept His gift of salvation. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" ( John 3:16). Prayer: Thank You, Jesus for loving us. Thank You for giving your life so we can go to Heaven one day. Amen
21. My Savior First of All
Verse: "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (I Peter 1:8). "When my lifework is ended and I cross the swelling tide, When the bright and glorious morning I shall see, I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side, And His smile will be the first to welcome me." This song, My Savior First of All, was written by Fanny Crosby. From the ages of 44-95 she wrote more than 8,000 hymns. These songs are still blessing hearts today. She wrote urging the lost to come and accept Jesus as Savior. She also wrote songs encouraging Christians as they follow Jesus. Her songs tell of the praise, power, glory, and love of God. She was a true follower of Jesus and worked in missions reaching out to others. Peter tells us in I Peter 1:3-8 to rejoice, even when we have problems. God will keep us through them and one day we will see Him, whom we have trusted. Fanny Crosby's testimony was a good example of this trust. She enjoyed her life and all the beauties God bestowed upon her. She also knew Jesus would be the first person she would see, because as a six week old baby, she became blind. Prayer: Dear God, Help me not to be blind to the world around me, but be a witness for You each day. Amen
22. Nearer My God to Thee
Verse: "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you" (James 4:8). "Nearer my God to Thee, Nearer to Thee! E'en tho it be a cross that raiseth me; Still all my song shall be, Nearer my God to Thee, Nearer to Thee." Sarah F. Adams wrote this song of five verses in the early 1800's. She was born in Harlow, England Feb. 22, 1805 and only lived to the age of 43 before she went to be even nearer to God her Father. This hymn is based on an incident in Jacob's life. (Genesis 10-22) He had run away from home because his brother, Esau, wanted to kill him. While in the desert he had a dream. A ladder reached to Heaven and angels went up and down it. God stood at the top and promised Jacob he would be the one to continue His promise to Abraham. Sometimes, we may be fleeing something in our lives. Whether we actually leave a certain place or stay and 'make do.' We can always be assured that we can draw close to God and He will comfort us in whatever problems we have. He is the God of all comfort and will be there to help us through any situation. Another verse: "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;" (2 Corinthians 1:3) Prayer: Dear God, Help me to remember You are the God of all comfort and to draw nearer to You each day. Amen
23. Not Home Yet
Verse: "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 3:20) I am living in Germany temporarily. While here, I am attempting to learn the language and culture, at least enough to be polite to the people of this country and hopefully be a witness for Jesus. I have decorated my house a little in German decorations, but mostly it is an American household. We are enjoying sight seeing. Some people tell us that we will like living here so much that we will extend our stay. But, the United States of America is my home and I miss my country, our way of life and family members who are over there. Sometimes, I want to go home so badly, but I have to remind myself that this stay in Germany is not permanent and one day we will be back in the United States. Then time here will seem to have passed quickly. As Christians, we are living on Earth temporarily. Our home is in Heaven. We need to enjoy the many blessings God gives us here, such as our health, family, friends, and even pleasures and things. However, we should not get too attached and think this is the only life we have. We need to remember that when we look toward eternity, this life on Earth is very short. In the above verse, conversation means 'way of life.' Our thoughts should be focused on our eternal home which is with Jesus, but also on what we can do for Him while we are here. One day we will be home. Will we then look back at how quickly time passed and be sad we did not do more for Him? Prayer: Dear God, help me to remember as the song says, "This world is not my home; I'm just a passing through; My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue." Amen
24. Our Enemies
Verse: "I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies" (Psalm 18:3). The Psalms were songs sung for worship. This verse has become popular lately through someone putting a tune to it for our day. When we think of our enemies we usually think of people. Throughout David's life he had to flee from many enemies and asked God's help to deliver him from them. At one time, the enemy was his own son, Absalom. Many verses in Psalms tell us about God's protection from His enemies. Recently I read the Psalms again. As I read those verses, I could not help but think about our enemies as bad feelings, such as depression, stress, anger, pride, aggravation, or bitterness. The Bible tells us never to be bitter, angry, or mad. Eph. 4:31 says "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:" Sometimes, these enemies are worse than people who do not like us for they can harm our health and well being. It is hard to never be bitter, angry, or mad, but we can call on God to deliver us from these enemies as well as enemies who are people who would do us harm. Prayer: Please, Dear God, help us to call upon You to deliver us from all our enemies whether bad feelings or people. Amen
25. Wonderful Friend
Verses: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you" (John 15:13-15). What a friend we have in Jesus is a poem that Joseph Scriven wrote in the 1800's. He lived in Canada, and his mother lived in Ireland. She was seriously ill. He wrote the poem to send to her. Later, Charles C. Converse put the words of the poem to music. Here are the words to the song: "What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit. O what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer! Can we find friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer!" I like to sing this song. When I sign this song for deaf people, I sign "wonderful friend" instead of "what a friend," because Jesus is a wonderful friend. This is the first hymn I remember learning as a child. Its words always comfort me. We have many friends in this life. These friends cheer us when we are sad and are glad when we are happy. But none of these friends can heal our heart of worry and sorrow like Jesus. He truly is our best friend! Prayer: Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to save my life from sin and be my best friend.. Amen.
26. Road Closed
Verse: "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 16:25). We were driving home to see our families. The road we traveled was detoured into the other lane for miles and miles. The road we were supposed to be on looked fine. In fact, it looked better than the road we were driving on. We wondered why it was closed. It looked like much better traveling. After a while we saw the reason, though. The road came to a drop-off at a river, where they had not built the bridge. Maybe in our Christian life, we see other people living a better life than we are. We wonder why God is letting them live better when they are not saved and are living wrong lives. Sometimes, we see what happens to them and are glad we obeyed God. Sometimes, though, we never understand why they seem to live better. We cannot measure our lives by others. God cares for us in ways that we may never know. His guardian angels watch over us and protect us from harm. "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways"(Psalm 91:11). Maybe we have missed being in the hospital because our guardian angel protected us from an accident. Or maybe we have more money to spend for food because we did not waste it buying things that would be harmful to our bodies. God loves us and gives His best to us as we obey Him! Another verse: "Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them" (Proverbs 24:1). Prayer: Dear God, Please help me to trust You as I travel the road of life that You would have me to travel. Amen.
27. Shine with Authority
Verse: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). In Matthew 4:1-17 Satan tempted Jesus. Jesus did not fall into the temptation. Verse 17 tells us that Jesus began to preach and chapters 5-7 contain the Sermon On The Mount. It provides guidelines for how we should live. Jesus impressed people with His speaking. Verse 7:28-29 tell us that the people were astonished at His doctrine. Why? He taught them as one having authority, not as the scribes. One of the meanings for authority is "personal power that commands influence, respect, or confidence." The scribes were important people. They were educated men who copied and studied the Old Testament. They explained the Scriptures to the Jews as they gathered in the synagogues. They were also lawyers. They made sure the people obeyed the Old Testament laws. Jesus warned several times for the people to beware of the scribes because they forced the people obey the law and all the rules of the synagogue, but they did not obey the same laws. Our verse for today tells us that Jesus is the light. Jesus is no longer on the earth as a person, but we, as Christians, have Jesus in our hearts and we should let the world see His light through us. We need to truly live the life Jesus would want us to live so we will not be as the scribes. Prayer: Dear God, Help me to shine with the authority that You have given me so others may see You through my life. Amen.
28. Plus Minus Plus
Verse: "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" (Colossians 3:17-23). I have heard it said that when you need to tell someone a fault they have, it is good to 'sandwich' it in between two praises. That way, it does not seem so bad because you say something good that they do before and after the criticism. I have read the third chapter of Colossians many times, but never realized what I saw yesterday while I was reading them and hearing a preacher explain them. This speaker focused on verses 17 and 23, but included verses 18-22. I thought, how perfect! It is like God knew how hard it would be, sometimes, to do all the things He expects us to do concerning other people. He made sure we were doing it for Him; not for them, so God 'sandwiched' verses 18-22 in between verses 17 and 23! Whatever we do, we should do it with all our heart for God and He will bless. Prayer: Dear God, Please help me to do whatever I do, in my relationships with others, with all my heart for You. Amen
29. The Word Of The Lord Was Precious
Verse: "And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision" (I Samuel 3:1). During the time when Samuel was a boy and helping in the temple, God was not making Himself known by visions or speaking to people. They also did not have the whole Bible as we have it today. This verse says the word of the Lord was precious in those days. During the years of our world history, there were many times when people, even religious people would not let other people read God's Word for themselves. In many Communist countries they try to destroy the Bible. People risked their lives just to have a page of the Bible and shared with their friends. They wanted to read and study God's Word, and it did not matter if they were threatened. Do we take the Bible for granted today? We should read it, memorize it, and cherish it daily. We should study it daily and not just ignore it. Then if the Word of God is taken from us, we will have it in our hearts and minds. Prayer: Dear God, please help me to remember to read Your Word, to memorize verses and study to be approved unto You. Amen.30. Preach the Gospel
Verse: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature ( Mark 16:15). The study of world history is an interesting study. One theme weaves through time and that is during all time, people have worshipped something, whether the true God, a god, or a man. The Old Testament tells us that many times, Israel left serving the one and only true God to worship the false gods of the nations around them. Each time God had to take action to bring them back to Him. Long ago, the monks built monasteries (fortresses) up high in the mountains to live in so they could keep evil influences away from them. They lived by a set of rules and studied about God. Everything they observed in nature, they related it to God through analogies. They re-lived the past over and over in their studies and discussions, while looking to the end time when they would be with God. We can thank these men that they copied the Scriptures and other books again and again, preserving them for us today. But, did they reach out to the outside world? Was anyone trying to reach others with the true gospel? Are we doing any better today? Do we ignore the world around us as we have our fellowships among our own Christian family. Or are we inviting others to come and experience the blessings with us so they can see the way of salvation in our lives and by our words? We need to remember to invite our friends and neighbors to our church and its activities. Dear God, Help me to remember to reach out to my neighbors and other people I meet along life's way, so we can see more people accept Jesus as Savior. Amen.31. The Real Great Reformation
Verse: "Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation" (Hebrews 9:10). In the 1500's an event happened that changed the way many people believed about salvation. The Roman Catholic Church was the religion of the day. The Bible was in Latin so only the church leaders could read it. If it had been in the people's language most of them could not read anyway, because many people could not read. So, they obeyed the rules of the church believing they would go to Heaven if they did so. The church decided they wanted to build a new cathedral in Rome dedicated to St. Peter. They decided to sell indulgences. These pieces of paper promised the person who bought them that they would miss purgatory. They could even buy them for people already dead to get them out. Martin Luther was a young monk, studying for his ministry. He realized that many of the rules imposed on the people were not right according to the Bible. When they started selling the indulgences, he was angered, because he understood that salvation was only by faith through Jesus. He decided to present his arguments to the church for a discussion and wrote them in Latin to post on the door of the church. Posting items to the church door is what someone did back then when they wanted to make something known. He only meant for the leaders of the church to read them so maybe he could make them realize their wrong teaching and change it. But, the printing press was becoming popular. Someone translated the writing into German and made copies to pass out to the people. As more and more of the people heard these arguments for the Bible, they broke ties with the Roman Catholic Church and The Great Reformation took place. Today, we have many other forms of Christian churches because of this event. But, according to the verse for this devotion, the first reformation took place when Jesus died and rose again for our sins. All through the years, the Jewish law had consisted of offering sacrifices to God for hope of remission of sins. Now, Jesus did away with all that because he is the sacrifice that all those others represented! He is the Savior of the world and presented to us the real great reformation! We can be glad that Martin Luther is responsible for the Great Reformation, for without his step toward trying to encourage the Roman Catholic Church to teach the truth, we may not have the true gospel today that we so freely have and can read for ourselves. Prayer: Thank You, Dear God, that we do not have to obey rules of a church to be saved, but Jesus came to bring us salvation through repenting and trusting in His name. Amen."For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
The devotions listed below were published in the following booklets by Belinda Jo Adams.
Published in Deaf Missions 1992-94: An Exciting Event, Be a Friend of Jesus, Changes, Glorify God, God Knows Me, God Made Us, Happy In Serving, Names, Revival, Soap Bubbles, Show It, Stormy Seas, Understanding, Wolves, Published in another devotional: Infinite Love, God Does Not Change, Who is God's Equal?, The God Who Knows Everything, published in Silent Word Ministries: Road Closed,